2.7 Magnitude Earthquake Reported In New England

A 2.7-magnitude earthquake was reported in New Hampshire on Sunday (December 24), according to the United States Geological Survey.

The natural disaster was located in Concord and centered at a depth of 5.0 kilometers (3.1 miles). The USGS said it received 912 reports of citizens claiming to have felt the earthquake as of Sunday morning, however, no injuries were reported.

Earthquakes typically don't result in damage if they aren't measured at a magnitude exceeding 4.0. The New England region has experienced small tremors that occur about twice per year, while more significant earthquakes were present in the region during colonial times, which included the largest known tremors taking place in Vermont or New Hampshire in 1638, as well as offshore from Cape Ann in 1755, which resulted in severe damage to the Boston waterfront, according to the USGS via MassLive.com.

The last earthquake to cause significant damage in New England occurred in central New Hampshire in 1940.

“Earthquakes everywhere occur on faults within bedrock, usually miles deep, although some New England earthquakes occur at shallower depths,” the USGS stated via MassLive.com. “Most of New England’s and Long Island’s bedrock was assembled as continents collided to form a supercontinent 500-300 million years ago, raising the northern Appalachian Mountains.”